As the Buffalo Sabres and impending unrestricted free agent Alex Tuch struggle to bridge a sizable gap in discussions about a long-term contract extension, rival NHL front offices are starting to circle like sharks around the three-time 30-goal scorer.
Adam Gretz of Bleacher Report named the Seattle Kraken as a potential landing spot for the 30-year-old winger, saying "bonkers free-agent contracts is definitely part of whatever identity" the young franchise has established since being founded in 2021.
"The Kraken also need offense in the worst way, and even though whatever team signs Tuch is probably going to hate themselves by year three or four of his contract, he should still have a couple of good, productive years ahead of him," Gretz wrote. "It won't be regrettable at the start."
Tuch, a Syracuse native, has enjoyed a terrific five-year run since arriving in Buffalo as part of the blockbuster Jack Eichel trade with the Vegas Golden Knights. He's compiled 309 points (139 goals and 170 assists) across 360 regular-season appearances.
The 6-foot-4 power forward did fail to record a single point in the Sabres' second-round playoff series loss to the Montreal Canadiens, which was the most ill-timed drop off in production imaginable. He did tally four goals and three helpers in the first round against the Boston Bruins, though.
Meanwhile, the Kraken are caught in kind of a middle ground between trying to remain competitive in the Western Conference and needing a full-scale rebuild. General manager Jason Botterill, who led the Buffalo front office from 2017 through 2020, didn't sound ready to tear it down this summer.
Tuch would provide an immediate boost as a three-zone, three-phase player. His work on the penalty kill is particularly impressive for a player with his offensive numbers.
In addition, there's been ample speculation the 2014 first-round pick may ultimately sign somewhere in the Pacific Northwest because Tuch's wife, Kylie, is from the Vancouver area. The winger did mention a family focus at his end-of-season press conference.
"I'm going to do whatever's best for myself and my family," Tuch told reporters. "That's all. That's my power and consideration. I don't know how talks are going to proceed. I don't know what they're going to say. I don't know the future. But my main priority is my family and where we'll be, where my kids will grow up and who we surround my kids with."
Those considerations combined with Seattle's need for an instant-impact forward could make the Kraken a top contender for Tuch if he hits the open market on July 1.
An Alex Tuch departure would increase the Buffalo Sabres' need to re-sign another UFA
The Sabres should be able to fill the offensive void if Tuch exits, Jiri Kulich, who missed a vast majority of this season because of a blood clot, expects to resume his hockey career next season. Young players like Josh Doan, Zach Benson, Noah Ostlund and Konsta Helenius should all take steps forward offensively in 2026-27, too.
Buffalo's bigger question is who will handle that defensively responsible forward role.
Ryan McLeod and Sam Carrick are the centers in those situations, but there's less certainty on the wing, especially if Jordan Greenway is moved to create salary-cap space.
In turn, the potential end of Tuch's Sabres tenure would increase the pressure on GM Jarmo Kekalainen to re-sign Beck Malenstyn, another impending UFA.
Malenstyn is a tricky case because he's purely a fourth-line player, so there's a limit on the reasonable financial investment (especially given Buffalo's cap constraints), but there's no doubt he made a significant impact on the club's turnaround season.
The 28-year-old winger racked up seven goals, including a few of the highlight-reel variety, seven assists, 282 hits and 75 blocked shots across 81 games in 2025-26. If re-signed to a Tuch-less roster, he'd likely take over as the winger on the top penalty-killing unit.
AFP Analytics projects Malenstyn to receive a three-year, $7.9 million contract ($2.6 million AAV) in free agency, which is a tad high for a bottom-line player, but his value filling that niche is clear.
It also showcases the type of trickle-down effects that will occur is such a well-rounded player like Tuch does leave Western New York this offseason. The Sabres will have little choice beyond trying to replace him in the aggregate.
There may be no other option because paying Tuch over $10 million per season until his late-30s probably won't age well for a franchise with a lot of young talent to re-sign in the coming years.
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